The Netherlands and Germany prepare to face off at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Thursday in their opening UEFA Nations League fixture, as both Xavi Hernandez and Jurgen Klopp make their international managerial debuts.
Netherlands vs Germany – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 24th September.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam.
Netherlands team news
Xavi Hernández faces a challenging international management debut as the Netherlands head into their blockbuster UEFA Nations League opener heavily depleted by injuries and notable squad omissions.
The Oranje are severely short-handed in central midfield, with key players Frenkie de Jong, Mats Wieffer, Jerdy Schouten, and Xavi Simons all ruled out of the fixture.
The attacking line has also taken a hit, as Donyell Malen withdrew late due to a muscle injury and Justin Kluivert dropped out, prompting emergency call-ups for Guus Til and Mexx Meerdink.
Adding to the drama, Xavi made the bold tactical decision to completely omit veteran forwards Memphis Depay and Wout Weghorst from his inaugural roster selection.
On a positive note, Arsenal fullback Jürrien Timber has shaken off a groin issue to make himself available. At the same time, Brian Brobbey is expected to lead the frontline flanked by Cody Gakpo and Crysencio Summerville.
Germany team news
Jürgen Klopp launches his highly anticipated tenure as Germany manager with a heavily experimental roster approach for the tournament opener in Amsterdam.
Klopp made headlines by splitting his initial international call-ups across a massive 44-man squad in two pools, meaning elite stars like Florian Wirtz are being rested and will not feature in tonight’s match.
The visiting squad faces minor injury disruptions, as Brajan Gruda withdrew late with an abdominal problem, while midfielders Leon Goretzka and Angelo Stiller remain sidelined.
Despite these absences, Klopp has firmly established his hierarchy by confirming Marc-André ter Stegen as Germany’s absolute No. 1 goalkeeper ahead of Oliver Baumann.
Furthermore, Joshua Kimmich has been named team captain and is locked in to dictate play from central midfield alongside Felix Nmecha, while the attacking burden will fall on the creative shoulders of Jamal Musiala and frontman Kai Havertz.
Form
Netherlands
The Netherlands enter this UEFA Nations League window looking to rebound after a mixed summer campaign. Their recent run featured a commanding 5-1 thrashing of Sweden and a 3-1 victory over Tunisia in the World Cup. However, defensive gaps were exposed during a 2-2 draw with Japan and a 1-0 friendly defeat against Algeria. Their summer run concluded heartbreakingly, exiting the World Cup after drawing 1-1 with Morocco and losing the ensuing penalty shootout 3-2.
Germany
Germany have showcased immense attacking firepower lately but struggle with consistency under pressure. Their World Cup campaign includes an emphatic 7-1 blowout against Curaçao and a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. However, momentum stalled with a 2-1 group-stage defeat to Ecuador. Like their rivals, Germany’s summer campaign ended in a stalemate, bowing out following a 1-1 draw and a 4-3 penalty shootout loss to Paraguay.
Predicted lineups
Netherlands: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Koopmeiners, Gravenberch, Reijnders; Summerville, Brobbey, Gakpo
Germany: Ter Stegen; Treu, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Kimmich, Nmecha; Karl, Musiala, Schade; Havertz
How to watch Netherlands vs Germany?
You can watch the Netherlands vs. Germany match tonight in the United Kingdom exclusively through Amazon Prime Video PPV.
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